Apparatus for the manufacture of gas



3 Sheets-Sheet 1. A. L. ALLEN & G. W. HARRIS. APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURED]? GAS.

No. 440,456. Patented Nov. '11, 1890.

(No Model.)

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A. L. ALLEN & G. W. HARRIS.

APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF GAS. No. 440,456, Patented Nov. 11, 1890.

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A. L. ALL-EN 8n G. W. HARRIS.

V APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF GAS. No. 440,456. Patented Nov. 11, 1890.

UNITED STATES PATENT O FICE.

AUGUSTUS L. ALLEN, OF POUGHKEEPSIE, AND GEORGE \V. HARRIS, OF RONDOUT, NEW YORK.

APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF GAS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent NO. 440,456, dated November 11, 1890'.

. Application filed May 1, 1890. Serial No. 350,119. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern..-

Be it known that we, AUGUSTUS L. ALLEN, residing at Poughkeepsie, in the county of Dutchess and State of New York, and GEORGE XV. HARRIS, residing at Rondont, in the county of Ulster, State of New York, both citizens of the United States, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for the Manufacture of Gas; and we hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, wherein- -Figure 1 is a plan view of an oven or furnace and a series of vertical retorts and their connections embodying our invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the same on the line 00 m, Fig. 1, showing one retort in elevation and one in section. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section on the line y y, Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a top view of the furnace or oven,the roof or crown and retorts being removed to show the arrangement of pillars and arches. Fig. 5 is a vertical section on the line; a of Fig. -l,showing the arrangement of pillars and arches.

Fig. 6 is a vertical section of an oven or furnace similar to Fig. 2,but showing amodified construction for the upper end of the vertical-retort; and Fig. 7 is a plan or top view of the mouth-piece of the retort shown in Fig. 6. Like letters refer to like parts wherever they occur in the drawings.

Our-presentinvention is more especially designed to be employed in connection with what is known as the Allen-Harris or F American hydrocarbon process for manufacturing gas, and is intended to perfect as far as possible the durability, efficiency, productiveness, and economical working of the vertical-retort system or gas-generators described in Letters Patent to George V. Harris and Augustus L. Allen, No. 302,909, dated August 5, 188A, and other apparatus of similar character by means of which the Allen-liarris and kindred processes are carried out.

One object we have in view is so to combine a series of vertical retorts and superheaters and arrange the same in separate systems within a fire-chamber heated by a single fire that any one of the retorts or superheaters or the adjuncts thereto of either series may be repaired or replaced without dis tnrbing the other series of retorts or the other retorts of the same series.

A second object we have in view is so to perfect the construction of the vertical retorts, as well as their relative combination and arrangement, within a firechamber heated by a single fire that a water-gas free from nitrogen and other objectionable elements maybe economically obtained and readily combined with gas from the destructive distillation of bituminous coals, and with a portion more or less of oil,naphtha, &c., atthe time and during the process of such destructive distillation, thereby producing a chemical (instead of, as is usual, a mere mechanical) mixture of coal-oil and water-gas of desired illuminatin g properties.

A third object we have in view is so to perfoot the arrangement and connection of vertical retorts in series that the entire process of decomposition of water and the carbureting of the water-gas may be conveniently, economically, and successfully conducted in one series of vertical retorts.

A fourth object we have in view is the perfection of such aseries of vertical retorts and their arrangement in a system within a firechamber heated by a single fire, whereby a pure water-gas free from nitrogen and other objectionable matters usually contained in water-gas and especially adapted for motor fuel, can be economically produced.

To accomplish these several objects we avail ourselves of the hitherto-ignoredscientific fact that the non-luminant or permanent gases which form the great body of illuminating-gas and produce the necessary strong combustion for a white light are produced at high heats, while the illuminants which are greatly in excess in bituminous coals but form only from seven to ten per cent. of the best illuminatinggas are, to a great extent, volatilizcd at a low heat and wasted before enough of the permanent gases are formed to utilize more than a small portion of the carbon; and acting thereon we so construct our vertical retorts at the upper end as to preserve the charge from the high heat and incandescent condition incident to that in the lower or decomposing zone of the retort and at the same time provide for the free escape of the water-gas from the upper end of the retort. A necessary result of said construction will be to save the above-mentioned waste, proportionately increase the volume of high-candle-power gas, and greatly reduce the cost of manufacture from the same quantity of material.

In carrying out our invention we form the vertical retorts at their top with coal or charging' chutes independent of the gas-exits of re the retorts, said chutes extending some three (3) feet or more down into the retort, so that the gas resulting from the decomposition shall not come in contact with the coal or coke in said chutes, and we connect the gas-exits on 5 each side of the bench with the line of outlet-piping of its respective side, each outletpipe having its valve, whereby the working of one line of retorts can be controlled independently of the other, which features em brace the main points of our present invention. There are also minor points of invention pertaining to the preferred forms of construction, as will hereinafter more fully appear. In other respects our present appa- 2 5 ratus corresponds in general construction and operation with that described in our former patent, No. 302,909, of August 5, 1884, hereinbefore referred to.

We will now proceed to describe our inven- 3 tion more specifically, so that others skilled in the art to which it appertains may apply the same.

The outer walls of the furnace, which may be made of brick-work, are preferably con- 3 5 structed so as to form a rectangular oven or retort-chamber with parallel benches for the vertical retorts A A, which latter may be any number desired, but preferably from six to ten, (or three to five on aside.) Between the parallel benches is arranged the fire-chamber B, the walls of which are of fire-brick, one or more rows of brick just above the grate-bars being tuyere orperforated brick W to pro- Vide air-channels, which communicate with the fire-chamber B and with an air channel or conduit L, formed in the walls of the furnace around the fire-cham-ber, so that the airsupply will be thoroughly heated before reaching the fire-chamber. These perforated 5o fire-bricks W can be readily replaced by others when worn or burned out. In the her ches next to the outer walls and at suitable intervals are the fines M M, which deliver into main fiues 1V leading into the stack. The

number of these flues may be regulated by the number of the retorts, as the retorts 00-- cupy the space between the dues, as shown. In the outer walls are a second series of channels or fiues- H,which accommodate the steam- 6o pipes K, which lead from, the superheaters to the retorts A. TllQ'ShQfllIl-PIIJBS K are provided with index-valves X X to regulate the amount of steam admitted to the retorts A.

A indicates the vertical retorts, which are preferably of fire-clay and cylindrical, but

may be of any desired form and material.

These retorts are each provided on its interior with a gas-exit flue 1, which may be annular, and inclose the coal-chute or charging-chute 2, as shown in Fig. 2, or arranged on one side and built up with the shell of the retort, as shown in the modification, Fig. 7, as desired. This flue 1 should extend down into the retort at least three feet or thereabout, and may extend to within four or five feet of the bottom of the retort, as represented in the drawings, the upper part of said gas-flue being connected with the outlet-pipe 3 of its side by a branch 4. We prefer, however, the construction shown in Fig. 2, wherein the chute 2 is a cylinder, preferably of fire-clay, of about fourteen (14) to sixteen (16) inches external diameter and from three (3) to three and a half (3%) feet in length, havinga flange 2 at its upper end and suspended within the retort by means of a-ledge or flange 5' on the inside of the mouth-piece 6, said cylinder when in position in the retort forming an annular gas-flue l of some three (3) or four (4) inches in width,which communicates with the outletpipe 3 by a branch 4, as before specified. In order to further support this cylinder at the lower end several lugs 7 may be projected from the inside of the retort on a line with the lower end of the chute.

The retorts which we prefer are about eight (8) feet high and about two (2) feet inside diameter;but their dimensions maybe increased or diminished, according to the quantity of gas desired to be made within a given time, and when so increased or decreased the chute 2 should be proportionately increased or diminished in size.

6 indicates the mouth-piece of the retort, which is of the usual form, provided with two openings, one closed by a cover 6, through which the coal, coke, &c., is fed into the retort, and the other connected by its branch4 with the outlet 3.

There is a separate outlet-pipe 3 for each series of vertical retorts A AA, and each outlet-pipe is provided with a valve 4, arranged between the last retort of the series and the delivery end of the said outlet, so that not only can each retort be cut out at will, but each series can be cut out or separated from the common carbureting-retorts. These retorts are open below, as at G, to communicate with the separable or independent base-pieces upon which they rest.

D indicates the horizontal base or mouth pieces, which are somewhat of the form of the usual D-retort, flattened above to support the vertical retort, and provided with an orifice or opening E, corresponding to the opening 0 in the bottom of the vertical retort. This horizontal detachable base-piece. is preferably of fireclay, extends to the outer walls of the furnace or oven, and is provided with a mouthpiece and lid, which may be of any of the wellknown forms. It will be noticed that the di- IIO ameter of the opening 0 in the bottom of ver- I tical retort A is such as to leave a shoulder or ledge, upon which is placed a flaring annular tile G. This tile G is flaring and annular or funnel-shaped, so as to direct the debris from retort A into the base-piece D, from whence it can be readily removed, and when the tile is in position in the bottom of the retort A it forms a steam channel or chamber, into which the steam-pipe K delivers, the tile being perforated with one-fourth-inch holes, so as to distribute the steam uniformly in retort A.

In order to facilitate the insertion and removal of tile G, we prefer to make it in two or more parts. The base-pieces D are supported by the benches before mentioned, being arranged at suitable intervals, with their mouth-pieces projecting from the oven-wall,

and in turn support the vertical retorts A,

(and communicate therewith,) as shown in Fig. 2.

0n the parallel benches next to the firechamber 13 and at intervals corresponding to the space between the retorts are erected pillars or supports P to the height of the outer walls, and from the pillars to the outer Walls, as well as from pillar to pillar, are sprung a series of arches 19, (see Fig. 3,) so that that portion of the crown of the oven inclosing each retort has its independent supports and can be removed to withdraw or 1 eplace the retort without disturbing the rest of the crown or weakening the structure.

Extending from pillar to pillar over the firechamber 13 are a series of supports or shelves 3 of refractory material, on which are placed a set of independent superheaters N N, which may be long fire-clayblocks with return-channels communicating with the steam supply and with the steam-pipe K, as preferred, or may be of metal tubing incased in fire-clay, the essential feature of construction being such that they may be removed and renewed without seriously disturbing the main walls of the oven. If desired, additional superheaters for steam may be provided by insertin g a series of pipes V V of two or three inches in diameter in the crown of the oven, as shown in Fig. 2, as in such position they can be readily reached for repairs when required. In working these retorts the coal, coke, and other fuel is fed through the cylinder or chute 2, and said chute is kept full to the top. The coal, coke, &c., in the lower part of the retort being maintained at incandescence, the

gases resulting from the decomposition of the steam will necessarily be free from nitrogen or other objectionable elements and will escape by the gas-flue 1 without coming in contact with the coal or coke inside of chute 2, while the coal in chute 2 will not be subjected to the high heats destructive to illuminants, but will be subjected to a low heat, and such illuminants as may be present will be evolved and combine with the water-gas in the flue 1 and pass into the outlet-pipe 4 without loss and with such a volume of water-gas as is nec=- essary to their protection and utilization.

As the Allen-Harris and kindred processes for the manufacture of gas by decomposing water by means of highly-heated carbon are now well known in the art of manufacturing gas, it is unnecessary here to more fully describe the operation of the devices.

Having thus described the nature and operation of our invention, what we claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In apparatus for the manufacture of gas, the combination, with an externally-heated vertical retort and its adjuncts, of a flue or passage for the gas from the retort to the outlet-pipe, said flue arranged Within the retort and independent of the fuel chute or passage, and a mouthpiece having a cover for the fuelchute and an exit for the gas, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

2. In apparatus for the manufacture of gas, the combination, with a series of externallyheated vertical retorts, each of said retorts having a flue or passage for the gas arranged within said retort and independent of the fuel or coal chute thereof, and said retorts arranged in sets, of a separate outlet-pipe for each set of the series, with which outlet-pipe the gas-fines of the retorts are connected, and a valve in each outlet-flue between the connection of the last retort with the outlet-pipe and the point of delivery of said outlet-pipe, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

3. In apparatus for the manufacture of gas, the combination, with an externally-heated vertical gas-retort, of a cylindrical coal or fuel chamber arranged in the top thereof and projecting down therein to form agas-fiue within the retort and a gas-exit pipe leading from at or near the top of said gas-flue, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

4. In apparatus for the manufacture of gas, the combinatiom'with an externally-heated vertical gas-retort, of a mouth-piece havinga cover and a flange on its interior forsupporting a fuel-chute and a fuel-chute suspended therein to form an annular gas-flue in the upper part of the retort, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

5. In apparatus for the manufacture of gas, the combination, with a vertical retort having on its interior projecting lugs to support a coal-chute, of a mouthpiece havinga cover, a gas-exit, and projections 011 its interior to support. a fuel-chute, and a fuel-chute arranged in the retort to form a gas-flue and supported by said flange and lugs or projections, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

In testimony whereof we affix our signatures, in presence of two witnesses, this 30th day of April, 1890.

AUGUSTUS L. ALLEN. GEORGE W. HARRIS.

Witnesses:

JONATHAN DICKINSON, MARY A. DIcKINsoN.

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